T he De vil s Dyk e a nd Fulk ing Esc a rpm e nt
Enjoy the magnificent panorama of the Devils Dyke on this fairly strenuous walk. The route drops down to two lovely Sussex villages, crosses farmland and climaxes with a stiff ascent of the Devil s Dyke
Essential Facts
Route distance: Approximate time: Approx. total ascent: Start point Grid Ref: GPS Ref: Recommended O.S. Map: Toughness Rating 9.4 km (5.9 miles) 3 hours 190 metres TQ 258 110 TQ 25844 11093 Explorer 122 Sussex 3
Please see the notes on Toughness Ratings at the end of this report
THE ROUTE
The start of this walk is the car park high on the South Downs at the Devil s Dyke, just beyond the pub of the same name, well signed from the A27 north of Brighton. Go to the viewpoint, S, and turn left. Walk initially next to the car park road, with the Devils Dyke Inn to your left. Bear right, as the footpath heads to a gate through which you pass and then follow the rim of the hillside. In front are two gates into the National Trust area, the Fulking Escarpment. Go through the right hand of the two gates and keep left. Do not go down the hill. Keep a clump of trees on the right and join a chalky track which drops down to A. Take the deep gulley on the right that goes downhill (there are better views up on the rim to the left of the gulley) and at a crossing of paths turn sharp left and continue downhill. As the path comes to the woods, fork right, down some steps, over a stile and at a track turn left, coming out at the Shepherd and Dog Pub in Fulking. Turn right, uphill and immediately past the fountain memorial turn left. Over a stile, fork left across the field, over another stile to the corner of the field and go left on a track to B at the corner. At the corner take the path across the field that goes to the right (this can be muddy) and then turn right, onto the tarmac farm lane. Go passed Perching Sands Farm Cottage and in 100 metres take the footpath to the right, bearing left across the field. Go through the gate and then keep right along the edge of the next field.Go over a stile keeping the stream on your right, straight on through the lightly wooded area, coming out to the lane at C. Turn right, along the lane for 200 metres and then go left over a stile into the field and along its edge with the hedge on you left. Keep straight on through several fields until Mill Lane is reached at D. Follow Mill Lane out to the busier road, turn right and after 100 metres take a small path down to the right, in the open area take the right-hand concrete path up the hill to E, and the Royal Oak pub in Poynings. Turn left, keeping on the footpath on the left and at the church turn right. As the road goes round to the left take the first of two Public Bridleways. Go downhill and over a stream, up the track and in 50 metres turn left steeply uphill to a stile. Continue on with the hedgerow on your left and join a tarmac drive, continue up the hill to a gate at the main road. Turn right for 100 metres and then join the South Downs Way going right through a gate and then uphill bending to the right before coming to iron railings at F. Keep straight ahead on the SDW as it climbs slowly for just over 1 km to a gate where the path crosses a road. Here there is a choice. You could turn right, out onto the road verge and walk up the hill back to the start. A more attractive alternative is to turn right just before the gate and very quickly a superb view down the full length of the Devil s Dyke opens up. Walk round the head of the valley going to the right and drop down to a gate. Go through the gate and aim for the right-hand edge of the clump of trees. Go along the edge of the trees and then left to the car park at S. Enjoy well earned refreshment at the Devil s Dyke Inn.
Devil s Dyke Viewpoint
The Royal Oak & Zion Chapel
A Sussex Hillside
Refreshment
The Shepherd and Dog Historic Inn The Street, Fulking Tel: 01273 857382 Restaurant and bar meals, cask ales, garden The Royal Oak Public House The Street, Poynings Tel: 01273 857389 Bar snacks and meals, real ales, garden The Devils Dyke Inn Large Pub at the walk start Dyke Road, Poynings Tel: 01273 857256 Bars, restaurant, outdoor terraces
The Devil s Dyke Inn
LOCAL INFO
The Devil s Dyke is first and foremost a superb example of a deep dried up river valley.It features a wide range of chalkland flowers, grasses and butterflies. It is also a high point on the South Downs, offering superb views along towards Ditchling Beacon to the east and Chanctonbury Ring to the west. There is an excellent viewpoint by the main car park, with a very informative set of three panels illustrating what there is to see. There have been many legends and myths as to how the dyke was formed, with the most graphic being the Devil s desire to use the dyke to flood the Wealden churches. In Victorian times it became a major tourist attraction with a steam train coming up from Brighton and a cable car crossing the dyke. There is little evidence of this period left, just a small piece of the platform. Nowadays, the Devil s Dyke remains a major attraction as a stopping off point on the South Downs Way but also the strong updrafts of air make it a great place for flying a kite and on some days hang-gliders can be seen soaring on the air currents.
DEVILS DYKE AND FULKING ESCARPMENT G.P.S. WAYPOINTS
WAYPOINT NAME DEV S DEV A DEV B DEV C DEV D DEV E MAP REF S A B C D E TQ TQ TQ TQ TQ TQ CO-ORDINATES ELEVATION: Metres 215 162 33 33 47 65
25844 24639 24546 25062 25879 26214
11093 10943 11691 12595 12348 12015
MAP LEGEND
Safety First
Safety should always be your first priority in planning and undertaking a walk, whether on your own or leading a group. Please read these Safety First and Walking Our Routes notes. Lead a group of other walkers only if you have leadership and navigational experience adequate for the worst case conditions which may be encountered on the particular walk, bearing in mind the terrain, possible weather and navigational demands. Weigh up the capabilities of your party, in terms of fitness and walking speed. Adjust your time expectations accordingly. Ensure all your party are adequately clothed for the weather and conditions. Footwear is particularly important. Clothing must protect against cold, wet or strong sun according to the time of year. Emergencies are quite rare, but it is essential to think ahead about what to do if someone in your party sustains an injury. Will you have a First Aid kit ? Is there a qualified First Aider in the party ? How could help be summoned in a serious eventuality ? Refreshment, particularly water, can be vital. Dehydration in hot summer conditions can be rapid, and frequent intake of fluids is essential. On tougher walks it is a good idea to tell someone where you are planning to go and when you expect to be back. Remember - mobile phones often lose reception in mountainous or isolated areas. All our walks use legitimate routes: Public Rights of Way, Public Footpaths, Bridleways, Permissive Paths, Access Land, Byways and Roads. Road walking calls for particular care. When there is no defined footpath or verge wide enough for safe walking it is usually best to walk on the right facing oncoming traffic. An exception may be a tight bend, where walkers would be more visible on the left. Occasionally you may find a public footpath blocked or unuseable. It is perfectly in order to take the shortest available diversion without damaging crops, perhaps around a field margin. It is courteous to close gates after passing through, sometimes even if the gate was open when you arrived particularly if it is obvious livestock may escape. Mutual respect for farm animals is to be encouraged! Don t frighten or annoy them, but equally don t put your party members in danger or discomfort. You certainly wouldn t be the first walkers to go round the outside of a field of frisky bullocks. Dogs should always be kept on a lead anywhere near farm animals, and under close supervision elsewhere in the countryside.
Walking Our Routes
Our walks are designed to be negotiated using the route directions in conjunction with the map section provided. We suggest walkers also take the Ordnance Survey Explorer or Outdoor Leisure map recommended for each walk. On mountain, moorland and open heathland walks it is ESSENTIAL to have navigational expertise and tools, including the recommended Ordnance Survey map(s). Take care to observe any cautions in the route description; exposed paths, areas liable to flooding etc. Consider conditions before setting off. Will heavy rain have made a water meadow impassable? Will frost or snow make a path slippery? When navigating the route look for clues to confirm you are in the right place. Are map features where you would expect on the ground? Are features mentioned in the text where expected? If you suspect you may have taken a wrong turn, take action sooner rather than later. It is better to re-trace to a known point rather than carry on regardless with the possibility of becoming increasingly confused. All our routes are carefully checked before publication, but features can change on the ground sometimes surprisingly quickly. Footpaths may be re-routed, buildings can appear or change significantly and these days pub names seem to change frequently. The approximate time given for each walk is based on an average walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour (4 km/hour), plus an allowance for ascent, descent and any difficult terrain. Total ascent is the approximate total ascent over the whole walk. GPS users can enter in the waypoints provided in each of our walk reports. It is important to read our guide Introducing GPS for Walkers, available as a PDF file from the Great Walks in Britain web site. Remember that GPS is a great navigational tool, but only one of those available to the navigator. Never dispense with conventional map and compass and the training and skills to use them, especially on mountain, moorland or open heathland walks.
TOUGHNESS RATINGS
All our Sussex & The South Downs routes can be undertaken by reasonably fit walkers able to utilise our map segments, together with the route guidance notes. Always consider recent and forecast weather. Each walk has been allocated a Toughness Rating: 1. Easier walks with modest ascent and generally on well defined paths. There may be stiles or narrow gateways to negotiate. 2. Routes which are more demanding. They may include more ascent and possibly paths which are looser or more difficult underfoot. 3. More strenuous walks with some steep sections, higher paths or places which may be wet and boggy. 4. The most demanding walks in this edition. There may be prolonged steep ascents. Conditions may be challenging underfoot. Toughness Ratings are allocated in the context of the terrain in the edition area. For example a walk rated as demanding in Cambridgeshire may be equivalent to an easier or moderate route in the Brecon Beacons.
